The state of Florida braced itself and hurricane Idalia made her presence known in late August, slamming into the Gulf Coast with great force.
Now, though the winds and rain have passed, many are left to face the trail of destruction that was left in its wake.
Today, we reflect on the sheer devastation that Hurricane Idalia caused and look at what you can do if you were one of the many people affected.
Force of nature
When Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a mighty Category 3 hurricane over Keaton Beach, located along Florida’s Gulf Coast near Tallahassee, it rapidly intensified. It then passed through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, briefly registering as a Category 4 storm. Next, the hurricane hit Florida’s Big Bend area with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour.
The strength of Idalia then lowered, and it moved from Northern Florida into Georgia. Next on Idalia’s hit list was South Carolina, followed by North Carolina, where it brought heavy rain and life-threatening flash flooding. Finally, Hurricane Idalia headed out to sea.
Destruction and devastation
Perry, southeast of Tallahassee, was badly affected. Some businesses caught fire or lost their roofs in the hurricane, and there was a report of a structure collapse.
Madison County suffered an almost total loss of power and much debris on the ground.
Flooding was devastating, and water levels along the coast of Florida’s Big Bend region rose quickly. Cedar Key showed water levels had risen almost a foot since the hurricane made landfall.
“In this part of Florida, particularly the Big Bend coast, we haven’t seen a hurricane landfall of this intensity in many, many, many years,” said Michael Brennan, Director of the National Hurricane Center.
Over 300,000 homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas lost power during the extreme weather.
Sadly, the Florida Highway Patrol reported that two people lost their lives when they lost control of their vehicle during the heavy rains in Florida.
Hurricane Idalia is estimated to have caused between $12 billion and $20 billion in damage and lost output, according to preliminary cost estimates from Moody’s Analytics.
Have you been affected by Hurricane Idalia?
Amy and the team at Boggs Law Group have seen the devastation caused by hurricanes of the past such as Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Ian. We have helped countless people pick up the pieces once the wind and rain died down, and we will do the same for anyone who is trying to put their life and their home back together after the ferocity of Idalia.
If your home took a beating by Hurricane Idalia, we understand the shock you must be feeling right now. Perhaps your roof took the brunt of it, or maybe the structure of your home was wrecked. No doubt you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of paperwork you’re preparing to satisfy the insurance company and are inundated with quotes from contractors for the major rebuild that your family faces. Chances are you’re lying awake thinking about the cost of these repairs.
The last thing you need is a fight with the insurance company. Sadly, this is the reality that many hurricane victims face – despite having an up-to-date home insurance policy. Things are rarely straightforward with insurance companies because they’ll do anything in their power to get out of having to pay you in full, or even at all.
Let us pick up the fight, because we’ve got the strength, the experience, and the dedication to see this through right to the end.
We have been taking on insurance companies on behalf of homeowners who have been affected by hurricanes and strong winds and we know what we’re doing.
Having a strong insurance attorney to represent you maximizes your claim. So, let’s work together to recover from Hurricane Idalia.